Tag Archives: Government

Time to deal with old outdated complicit relationships that need to change

It is time to take Republicans onto the floor of Congress and wipe up the floor with their ideologies.

The things that are on my mind while Congress continues to take a few days here there … called a congressional recess? seriously

The information below is a history and time line regarding the Census and Gerrymandering or Packing & Cracking rules

In December 1975, the Congress passed Public Law (P.L.) 94-171. This law requires the Census Bureau to make special preparations to provide redistricting data to the 50 states no later than April 1 of the year following a census (so April 1, 2011, for the 2010 Census). P.L. 94-171 specifies that within 1 year of Census Day, the Census Bureau must send each state the small-area data the state will need to redraw districts for the state legislature.

P.L. 94-171 sets up a voluntary program between the Census Bureau and those states that wish to receive population tabulations for voting districts and other state-specified geographic areas.

Under this program, those responsible for the legislative apportionment or redistricting of each state may devise a plan identifying the voting districts for which they want the specific tabulations and submit it to the Census Bureau.

Beginning in 2005, the Redistricting Data Office of the Census Bureau met with state officials in 46 states. These meetings explained the timeline and programs available for the 2010 Census, providing states the time to prepare and allocate resources in advance of the census. The states also provided the Census Bureau with valuable feedback on census program planning.

The 2010 Census Redistricting Data Program is a five-phase program. During Phase 1 (2005–2006), the Census Bureau collected state legislative district boundaries and associated updates to tabulate legislative districts. This phase also included an aggressive 2010 Census communications plan, with visits to state capitals, to make sure the states were informed and prepared for the upcoming census.

Phase 2 (2008–2010) consisted of the Voting District/Block Boundary Suggestion Project (VTD/BBSP) in which states received TIGER/Line® shapefiles and the MAF/TIGER Partnership Software (MTPS) to electronically collect voting district boundaries, feature updates, suggested block boundaries, and corrected state legislative district boundaries. Both Phase 1 and Phase 2 are voluntary programs that include a step where the state verifies the submitted data.

Phase 3 constitutes the delivery of the data for the 2010 Census. The Census Bureau will deliver the geographic and data products to the majority and minority leadership in the state legislatures, the governors, and any designated P.L. 94-171 liaisons. Once bipartisan receipt of the data is confirmed, the data will be made available online to the public within 24 hours through the American FactFinder. For this census, the P.L. 94-171 data will include population counts for small areas within each state, as well as housing occupied/vacancy counts.

After the Census Bureau provides the data, the states will begin their redistricting. States are responsible for delineating their own congressional and legislative boundaries and their legislatures. Legislatures, secretaries of state, governors, and/or redistricting commissions carry out the process.

~ Cracking the remainder among districts where they are moved into the minority (increasing votes for eventual losers), the number of wasted votes among the opposition can be maximized. Similarly, with supporters holding narrow margins in the unpacked districts, the number of wasted votes among supporters is minimized.

The Etymology

First printed in March 1812, the political cartoon above was drawn in reaction to the state senate electoral districts drawn by the Massachusetts legislature to favour the Democratic-Republican Party candidates of Governor Elbridge Gerry over the Federalists.

As we move into Campaign2018 voters need to remember the Global Financial Crisis of 2007 ~ 2008, how Republicans are reacting to your financial and personal status, Women’s Rights and Race in the year 2017. We must remember the Sequester of 2013, $24Billion shutdown and ALL the NO votes against Americans in Congress. The craziness in my opinion is clearly based on conservative insanity and could shove America into another moment of chaos in the long run. if “We the People” do not open your eyes and make your vote count in midterms more than ever before because they matter … Stop ignoring our Midterm elections and fight against conservative redistricting.

I ask you, what has a Republican done for you and yours, what are they thinking and how disturbing is it that past elections have taught them nothing! They continue to vote against bills that could help their own constituents like seniors, Students and the Unemployed just to name a broad group that has to include their own families or someone they know, right.

However, Republicans seem to believe and act as if they have no middle-lower or poor constituents that will feel the pain of all those NO votes …

We may never know all the reasons or facts behind our receding economy and yes; we all have to admit some housing loans were a big mistake. We know that AIG wrapped up some products in questionable paper, put a bow on them, which blew up, and a whole lot of poo was spread through the world. I am no expert, but what part of “the global economy” did the extreme right misunderstand. Republicans have made it a mission almost impossible since they first held Americans hostage and while we still need Banksters and Wall Street to take responsibility for the out of control greed that caused our financial downfall. There is still a sense that those who played with consumer money knew the government would not only pay to get them out of the ditch but the government would be held accountable and not the banks. I am convinced this was on the minds of those willing to make bets against the housing consumer since Freddie and Fannie Mae are governmental programs. Now, in this era of trump we have a whole group of nationalists bowing and or kissing up to the wannabe

Good’ole Abe said…

“The legitimate object of government, is to do for a community of people, whatever they need to have done, but cannot do, at all, or cannot, so well do, for themselves in their separate, and individual capacities. In all that the people can individually do as well for themselves, government ought not to interfere. The desirable things, which the individuals of a people cannot, do, or cannot well do, for themselves, fall into two classes: those, which have relation to wrongs, and those, which have not. Each of these branches off into an infinite variety of subdivisions. The first that in relation to wrongs embraces all crimes, misdemeanors, and nonperformance of contracts. The other embraces all which, in its nature, and without wrong, requires combined action, as public roads and highways, public schools, charities, pauperism, orphanage, estates of the deceased, and the machinery of government itself. From this it appears that if all men were just, there still would be some, though not so much, need for government.” ~ Abe Lincoln

The fact is; being out of a job, homeless or being on food stamps is a non-partisan reality. Yet, Republicans do not feel this way. In fact, they have yet to move on from the original stimulus bill choosing to make comments though we all saw a great number of Republicans cutting ribbons, telling their constituents they were their champions even stating President did not do his part. Honestly, the idea that Republicans state they need to be more pragmatic is laughable and as these folks continue to riff on who did what when to whom, President Obama genuinely tried to be bipartisan for the last 4yrs, but some of us feel the ultimate plan was to embarrass him … old school politics will continue to be a battle. Putting ones Party first before the People, a practice that began in 2009 has continued into President Obama’s second term with the Party of NO not only misinforming voters but also filibustering our President’s ability to govern.

The American People are hurting. yet Boehner and his group of carpet baggers seem to agree to vote for bills privately decide to vote no to anything beforehand and continue to say no to legislation which shows just what kind of person he and his party are.

It made me sad and angry given what is going on! knowing that someone could be so cynical but it shows how Republicans see politics as a game and we Americans are the pawns

Today, 750 million people in the world live without access to clean water. Now, they say 663 million live with access to clean water and 2.4 billion live without improved sanitation. We all have to know one without the other equals illness disease and death. This crisis disproportionately affects women, who walk a combined 200 million hours a day to collect water for their families. Stella Artois is supporting Water.org to help solve the global water crisis. Learn how you can help at http://BuyALadyADrink.com

Now, in the year 2017, they say 663 million live with access to clean water and 2.4 billion live without improved sanitation. We all have to know one without the other equals illness disease and death.

In honor of Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office, here are 100 things to remember about his presidency so far:

100. Lying about the smaller size of his inauguration crowd99. Making white nationalist Steve Bannon a key part of his leadership team98.Threatening to pull out of the Paris agreement on climate change97. Sean Spicer making errant and offensive comments about the Holocaust96. Going back on his word to name China a currency manipulator95. Announcing the bombing of Syria over chocolate cake with the Chinese president94. Threatening to break up the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals after it ruled against him93. Hiring Gen. Michael Flynn as National Security Advisor amid possibly illegal entanglements with foreign governments92. Handling classified documents over open-air dinners at Mar-a-Lago91. Golfing, golfing, golfing after consistently criticizing President Obama for doing so90. Outsourcing key policy initiatives to his inexperienced son-in-law89. Directing administration officials away from using the term “climate change”88. Attorney General Jeff Sessions lying to the Senate about pre-election communications with Russia87. Likely racking up more in travel and security costsin one year than President Obama needed in 8 full years86. Getting Neil Gorsuch on the Supreme Court after the Senate GOP blocked Obama’s rightful nominee Merrick Garland in 201685. Installing Wall Street executives and lobbyists to key posts after promising to “drain the swamp”84. Via Kellyanne Conway, allowing the phrase “alternative facts” to enter our discourse83.Declaring the free press the enemy of the American people82. Threatening the well-being of millions of Americans by holding healthcare subsidies hostage81. Introducing a budget that guts funding for PBS, scientific research, the EPA, education programs, and Planned Parenthood80. Still refusing to release his taxes79. In a Fox interview, apparently not knowing the difference between Kim Jong-il and Kim Jong-un78. Claiming that he only lost the popular vote because of millions of fraudulent votes cast by illegal immigrants77. Tweeting complaints about his daughter’s clothing line being pulled from stores76. Inventing fake terrorist attacks in Bowling Green, Atlanta, and “last night in Sweden”75. White House advisor Stephen Miller declaring that President Trump’s decisions “will not be questioned”74. Continually claiming that Mexico will pay for a border wall while the Mexican government continually asserts it will not73.Weakening President Obama’s federal lobbying ban72. Having one of the least diverse cabinets in recent memory71. Backtracking and flip-flopping on his opposition to NAFTA 70. Backtracking and flip-flopping on his opposition to NATO (because he didn’t know “much” about it)69. Reversing President Obama’s practice of making the White House visitor’s log public68. Firing U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara after promising to keep him on67. Failing to divest himself of business interests that present clear conflicts of interest66. Introducing a tax plan that creates huge loopholes for pass-though companies, hedge funds…and likely Trump himself65. “Nobody knew healthcare could be so complicated.”64. Picking fights with longtime allies like Germany, Canada, and England63.Supporting tainted election results in Turkey that give more power to its autocratic leader62. Ordering a Navy SEAL raid that gathered no actionable intelligence61.Being unaware if we were sending an “armada” to North Korea60 through 7: Blank in recognition of Trump’s 54 of 60 unfulfilled, stalled, or broken campaign promises, per the Washington Post, many of which are on this list6. Leaving dozens of vital national security positions empty at the State Department5. Instituting an unconstitutional immigrant ban that makes our nation less safe4. House leaders standing by Intel Committee Chair Devin Nunes after he interfered with Congress’s investigation into Russian election meddling3. Trying (and failing) to fully repeal Obamacare2. Fabricating claims out of thin air that President Obama wiretapped Trump Tower1. After one of the most divisive elections in history – in which Trump lost the popular vote by almost 3 million – failing to govern as if he represents the entire country, not just those who voted for him.

Thanks to the women in this room and people all across the country, we worked really hard — and it’s now been more than three years since Congress passed the Affordable Care Act and I signed it into law. It’s been nearly a year since the Supreme Court upheld the law under the Constitution. And, by the way, six months ago, the American people went to the polls and decided to keep going in this direction. So the law is here to stay.

I’ll do everything in my power to make sure nothing like this happens again by holding the responsible parties accountable, by putting in place new checks and new safeguards, and going forward, by making sure that the law is applied as it should be — in a fair and impartial way.

They exemplified the very idea of citizenship — that with our God-given rights come responsibilities and obligations to ourselves and to others. They embodied that idea. That’s the way they died. That’s how we must remember them. And that’s how we must live.